Collective ring depressor



Dec. 11, 1962 H. VAN DREVEN ETAL.

COLLECTIVE RING DEPRESSOR Filed April 8, 1960 HERMANUS VAN DREVEN ALBERTDE BOER INVENTORS.

AT RN State Unite This invention relates to a ring twisting machine inwhich the aligned traveller rings are coupled to a common ring beam orring rail which in turn is coupled in operative relationship to atraversing mechanism wherein an auxiliary winding surface is providedbetween the drive and the tube holder of each twisting spindle.

Ring twisting machines of this type are well known and are usually usedin combination with yarn drawing apparatus for the stretching andtwisting of threads formed from linear polycondensation products, suchas polyamides and polyesters. The starting of the drawing or stretchingprocess, or the replacing of full tubes by empty ones, is done in suchapparatus pointwise per twisting spindle.

For doffing purposes on a least one embodiment of the ring twistingmachine of a well known type the holder of the traveller ring isconnected to a tube system which encloses and slidably engages two rodsextending parallel to the twisting spindle in a downward direction asviewed from the ring beam, and in which the tube system may be fixed bymeans of a locking mechanism on the rod system in a position of thetraverse path where the traveller ring faces a tube arranged on thespindle, Whereas in the decoupled position the traveller ring remainsfacing the auxiliary surface. See, for example, US. Patent No. 2,909,026owned in common with the present application.

At the beginning of the stretching process or when replacing full tubesby empty ones, the tube system in the prior ring twisting machine ispointwise decoupled from the ring beam; consequently, the traveller ringremains facing the auxiliary surface notwithstanding the fact that thetraversing beam continues to move up and down. Accordingly, undrawnthread or yarn supplied to the twisting machine at this stage of theprocess is wound on the auxiliary surface. This is continued until thethread at a following stage is wrapped around a drawing roller and thedrawing process begins. Thereupon the traveller ring and tube system areraised and coupled to the ring beam so that yarn subsequently drawn willbe collected on the twisting tube.

In performing the foregoing process, it is also possible to provide aso-called transfer tail on the twisting tube by temporarily interruptingthe raising of the traveller ring at a level below the traversing pathof the ring beam, as fully explained in said US. Patent No. 2,909,026.This transfer tail consists of a quantity of yarn which is wound a fewturns on the free lower rim of the twisting tube and serves to connectthe yarn on the twisting tube carrying the same to the starting end of ayarn package on an other twisting tube. With a transfer tail it ispossible, during further processing of the yarn packages, to have yarnrunning off an emptying package jump directly onto a full package, as isknown to this art.

The ring twisting machines described hereinabove present variousdisadvantages. For example, pointwise threading-in of each emptytwisting tube requires considerable work and, moreover, this operationshould be carried out by highly skilled personnel. This is due to thefact that the entire machine must continue to operate when one point isthreaded-in. The threading-in of yarn through the traveller, onto theauxiliary winding surface, and thereafter through and along the drawingzone must in this care be carried out independently for each new emptytube on a running machine. As regards the operating personnel thesemanipulations at running machine speeds are not entirely free fromdanger. In addition, the provision of a transfer tail of a correctlength and in the correct place on the twisting tube requires specialskill. Finally, the quantity of waste yarn on the auxiliary windingsurface depends on the time required by the operating personnel forthreading-in the yarn on the machine. In general this means the loss ofrather considerable amounts of yarn which, moreover, means that theauxiliary winding surface must be cleaned fairly regularly.

It is to be noted that the known method of operation described above mayoffer advantages if the yarn supply packages from which the undrawn yarnis fed to the draw twisting machine contain yarn quantities of unequallength. In order to be able to have these packages empty themselvescompletely the running times of the various twisting spindles on themachine necessarily should be different. On the other hand, thispresents a serious drawback because the collecting tubes will alsocontain unequal quantities of yarn. This latter inherent result is mostundesirable if wraps are formed from these twisting tubes. With modernwinding machines, however, it has been found possible to wind packagesof undrawn yarn in substantially equal lengths. Consequently, pointwisethreading-in of the machine no longer presents a real advantage.

It is, accordingly, an important object of this invention to provide aring twisting machine which is free from the foregoing and otherdisadvantages.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a ring twistingmachine improved means for selectively operating the traversingmechanism of the ring beam without modifying the path of the yarn.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of means forinterrupting the traverse pattern between the ring beam and thetraversing mechanism of a ring twisting machine to place the travellerrings in predetermined position relative to the twisting tubes.

A further object of this invention is the provision of improved means ina ring twisting machine for providing a transfer tail on a twistingtube.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from thefollowing description.

In accordance with this invention, a system is provided in which drivingrelationship in the coupling between the ring beam and the traversingmechanism may be interrupted, and the ring beam may be moved into aposition where the traveller rings face the auxiliary winding surfaces.

The invention will be better understood from the following description,taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the preferredembodiments have been shown for the purposes of illustration in thedrawing.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of a ring twisting machine according tothis invention showing an interrupting system which is manuallyoperated,

FIGURE 2 is a view taken along line 2--2 in FIGURE 1 in the direction ofthe arrows, but with motor-driven means for operating the interruptingsystem, and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view taken along line 33 in FIGURE 2.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the'several viewsof the drawing.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG- URE 1, there areshown diagrammatically only such elements of a draw or stretch-twistingmachine which are necessary to describe the instant invention. Thus,only the winding portion of the stretch-twisting machine is illustratedand the stretch portion is omitted. In FIGURE 1, the ring beam 1 of thering twisting machine has coupled thereto along the entire lengththereof a series of traveller rings. These couplings are of a known typeof detachable locking and guiding systems, the lock of which isdesignated by reference numeral 3 and the guiding system by referencenumeral 4. The traveller rings 2 are shown in locked position in whichposition they can follow the traversing movement of the ring beam 1.Twisting spindles and twisting tubes mounted thereon project through therings 2. The twisting tubes have a primary yarn receiving surface overthe major portion thereof and an auxiliary surface outside the primarysurface on the lower end thereof. The spindle drive means is well knownand has been omitted for purposes of clarity.

The traveller rings 2 may by means of the locks 3 be uncoupled from thering beamv 1 and thereafter pushed downwardly along the guiding system 4into a position facing the auxiliary winding surfaces located below thetwisting tubes on the twisting spindles.

The ring beam 1 is connected by means of nuts 6 to the push rods ofwhich only two are shown although several are provided. These push rods5 are mounted on rollers 7 supported in blocks 3. The blocks-8constitute part of the bellcrank levers which are pivoted on pivotshafts 10, said levers having arms 9 and 11.

Arms 11 are coupled together by connecting rods 12 and are biasedtowards the right by springs 13. Under the influence of springs 13 thering beam 1 and the rings 2 will always be drawn to their uppermostposition.

The traversing of the rings 2 along the twisting spindles is effected bythe use of head 14, shaped like a circular rack segment and integralwith arm 11 of the leftmost bellcrank lever. A chain 15 is fixed to andtrained over the head 14!- and is periodically drawn towards the leftthereby operating the traversing mechanism. For this latter purpose thechain 15 is led around a guiding sprocket 16 and 'is fixed at its freeend to a second rack segment which forms part of a pivot arm 17pivotally supported on a pivot 18. The pivot arm 17 is adapted to berocked about pivot 18 by suitable means such as a rotatable cam disc.The foregoing is a description of a known type machine.

In the first embodiment of this invention an abutment 19 is fixed to thearm 11 of the rightmost bellcrank lever. Facing the end of the abutment19 there is provided a buffer plate 20 at the end of a screw jack 21which is carried in the rear front plate 22 of the machine. The screwjack 21 is provided at its inner end with a square head 23 on which anoperating key may be fitted.

By turning the screw jack 21 clockwise the buffer plate 20 and theabutment 19 are brought into contact with one another and by continuingthe turning, the abutment is pushed away, i.e. towards the left. As aresult the bellcrank levers are pivoted against the action of thesprings 13 and the ring beam 1 is lowered. At the same time the chain 15becomes slack so that the movement originating from the pivot arm 17cannot be transferred to the ring beam 1.

When replacing the fully wound twisting tubes by empty ones, theprocedure is as follows:

By moving abutment 19 with the screw jack 21 ring beam 1 is quicklylowered into a position in which the rings 2 face the auxiliary windingsurfaces. Immediately thereafter the entire machine is stopped.Thereupon the fully wound twisting tubes are replaced by empty ones andthe machine is started again. The screw jack 21 is quickly moved back toposition where the ring beam is immediately below its normal traversingpath. By leaving the screw jack in this position momentarily, transfertails are wound on the twisting tubes below the traversing paths.Finally the screw jack is entirely moved back into a position in whichthe buffer plate 211 and the abutment 1% are entirely free from oneanother and remain that way during the twisting-winding operation.

FIGURES 2 and 3 show details of another embodiment of the machine ofthis invention with which it is possible to perform the above-describedoperations automatically for the greater part. With the exception ofparts 19, 20, 21 and 23, those previously-mentioned and described arealso provided in this embodiment. In FIGURE 2 the pivot arm 17, which isshown viewedfrom the left hand side, carries rollers 24- and 25 mountedin bearings. During normal operation the pattern disc 26, fixed to shaft27 and rotated by the main drive of the machine, co-operates with theroller 25.

Together with other mechanisms not shown in the fig ures the patterndisc 26 forms part of the entire traversing mechanism which is capableof performing the desired traversing program during the normal operationof the machine.

An auxiliary pattern disc 28 is adapted to co-operate with the roller24. This auxiliary pattern disc is mounted on a shaft 29, which shaft isrotated through worm gearing (not shown) in casing 30, intermediateshaft 31 and the coupling32, by a motor 33.

The design of the auxiliary pattern disc 28 is such that during normaloperation this disc when pointing with its smallest radius towards theroller 24 does not touch the roller but it takes the pivot arm 17entirely out of reach of the normal traversing when pointing with itslargest radius to the roller 24.

To the auxiliary pattern disc 28 there are fixed two cams or lugs 34,only one of which is shown inFlGURE 3. These cams 34 are adapted to comeinto contact with a disconnecting or limit switch (not shown) when thepattern disc assumes one of the two extreme positions. This limit switchinterrupts the supply of current to the motor 33 so that the latter isstopped. The shape of theauxiliary pattern disc 28 is such that itenables move-- ment of the pivot arm from its highest position quicklydownwardly and slowly upwardly. As a result thereof the downwardmovement of the pivot arm- 17 is 1.75 times as fast as that of theupward movement. The section of the auxiliary pattern disc 28 whichgives the pivot arm 17 its upward movement comprises a portion which is.concentric with the shaft 29 and extends over 18 of the circumference ofthe said auxiliary pattern disc, starting from 12 after passing thelowest point. The lowest point of the pivot arm 17 is maintained for acertain period of time by a portion of the auxiliary pattern disc 28which is likewise concentric with the shaft 29'. This concentric portionof the pattern disc extends over 18.

In order to replace fully wound twisting tubes by empty ones in the ringtwisting machine according to this embodiment one proceeds as follows:

The motor .33 which rotates the auxiliary pattern disc 28 is started bya hand-operated switch (not shown). This disc begins rotation from aposition with its smallest radius pointing to the pivot arm 17 androtates over about one third of a revolution, the pivot arm 17 beingpushed into its lowest position. In this position of the auxiliarypattern disc 28 one of the cams 34 abuts against the limit switch sothat the motor 33 and the disc 28 are stopped. In this position of thepivot arm 17 the yarn is led from tubes below the traversing paths. Thering beam 1 remains in'this position for a started operated switch sothat the ommences to rotate again. 0 a slight rising of the ring fewmoments until a sutficient transfer tail is laid and thereafter risesagain gradually. This rising of the ring beam continues until the roller25 in the pivot arm 17 contacts the pattern disc 26. Thereafter, thering beam follows the normal traversing and the auxiliary pattern disc28 continues its rotation to its initial position in which its radiuspointing to the pivot arm 17 is at a minimum. In this position thesecond cam 34 abuts against the disconnecting switch whereafter themotor 33 comes to a standstill.

As a consequence of the present invention, it is possible to proceed inthe following manner when replacing fully wound twisting tubes withempty ones. At the moment when the twisting tubes become fully wound,the interrupting system is activated and such activation causes the ringbeam, together with the traveller rings, to move downwardly into aposition facing the auxiliary winding surfaces, whereupon the entiremachine is stopped. Since the yarn at each twisting point is nowthreaded from the traveller to the auxiliary winding surface, the fullywound twisting tubes may be removed from the spindles and replaced byempty tubes without modifying the path of yarn.

In point of fact, the entire machine remains threaded-in and the yarnmaintains its position in all points of the stretching path. If themachine is thereafter put into operation and interruption of the normalring beam traversing movement is subsequently terminated, the drawingoperation and the winding operation are again carriedout at all pointsof the machine without change. The aforementioned manipulations may beperformed very quickly by unskilled personnel, since it is not necessaryto rethread the machine with yarn, and the said manipulations may becarried out when the machine is nonoperative, which results in a quieteroperation as well as reduced risk to operating personnel. Furthermore,since the situation at each twisting point is absolutely analogous,differences in length and location of the transfer tail on the twistingtube cannot occur.

During interruption of the traversing movement, the ring beam moves pastthe point where the transfer tail must be laid. According to the natureof this movement, the location and the length of the transfer tail maybe determined in the same manner for all twisting points. Assuming thatthis requires a certain skill, the same clearly is not any greater thanthat which is necessary for pointwise provision of a transfer tail.Moreover, this skill is only required for one person, since a singleoperator may arrange the transfer tails on all twisting tubes.

It is also important to note that the quantity of waste yarn collectedon the auxiliary winding surfaces when this system is operated is verysmall as compared with the quantities found to result when operatingheretofore known machinery. This, of course, results from the fact thatthe yarn in the machine of this invention remains entirely in positionand threaded-in. Consequently, the waste yarn is wound on the auxiliarywinding surfaces only during the period of time elapsing between thestarting of the drawing or twisting operation and the moment at whichduring the termination of the interruption of the traversing movementthe yarn runs from the auxiliary winding surface onto the twisting tube.

In practice it is found that this quantity of waste yarn amounts to onlya few meters per twisting point. This not only means a saving of wasteyarn in the machine of this invention but, moreover, the auxiliarywinding surfaces are filled less rapidly than in the case of priormachines. This also means a saving as regards the activities of theoperating personnel for fewer cleanings of the auxiliary windingsurfaces are required.

The foregoing advantages of the ring twisting machine of this inventionhave been discussed in connection with the replacing of fully woundtwisting tubes by empty ones. The greater part of these advantages willbe apparent when starting the machine with new packages of 6 undrawnyarn. It is true that in that case the yarn is pointwise arranged andthreaded-in but this is done when the machine is at a standstill so thatconsequently the advantages referred to are still maintained.

The interrupting system may be constructed for hand operation and in itssimplest form it is such that the lowest position of the ring beam andthe position in which the transfer tails are arranged are adjustedvisually. Moreover, the residence time during which the ring beam isleft in the position in which the transfer tails are arranged isdetermined by the operator each time that the interrupting system isoperated. Although this embodiment may lead to good results if theperson operating the interrupting system is highly skilled in thisrespect, there are nevertheless objections to this embodiment. It hasbeen found that operation by hand of the interrupting system isburdensome and the high degree of accuracy with which this operation hasto be effected makes great demands upon the personnel. Accordingly, itis desirable to provide automatic means for working the interruptingsystem.

Thus, in the second embodiment of this invention, automation may berealized in a fairly simple way by constructing the ring twistingmachine so that the interrupting system comprises a driving mechanismincluding a motor, said driving mechanism effecting the interruption ofthe normal ring beam movement according to a predetermined pattern. Thispattern may be introduced in several ways into the ring beam movement,for example, electrically or by means of rod systems. However, apreferred method has been found, according to this invenion, whereby theinterrupting movement takes place according to a schedule which isderived from the shape of a pattern disc, said shape being such that thering rail may be quickly moved to the position in which the travellerrings face the auxiliary winding surfaces, whereby the ring rail may beraised less quickly into the normal traversing path, with a shortinterruption just below said traversing path, and whereby cutting outmechanisms are provided for automatically stopping the interruptingsystem in the extreme positions of the pattern disc.

Depending on the type of the ring twisting machine employed, theconstruction of the interrupting system may vary and also the method ofcooperation of this system with the ring beam. In a ring twistingmachine in which the coupling between the ring beam and the traversingmechanism comprises a draw chain as driving connecting element, apreferred embodiment according to this invention is the use of aninterrupting system wherein during the interrupting movement the drawchain is permitted to slacken.

In another type of ring twisting machine in which the traversingmechanism of the ring beam includes a pattern disc which transmits itsmovement via a pivot arm to the ring beam, it is found that a verysimple and efficient interrupting system is preferably used. In thislatter case, an interrupting system employing an auxiliary pattern discis adapted to cooperate with the same pivot arm, the largest andsmallest deflections which the pivot arm may derive from the auxiliarypattern disc of the interrupting system being larger or smaller,respectively, than those which may be derived from the traversingmechanism. Even if the latter type of ring twisting machine also employsa draw chain as driving connecting element, the latter construction isto be preferred. In fact, where a draw chain is employed, the chainalways remains taut which favorably affects the accuracy of thetraversing movement of the ring beam. This is stressed by the fact thata chain which is repeatedly tensioned and subsequently becomes slackusually produces a varying free movement when being tensioned, said freemovement being eliminated from the chain by jerks. This causes jolts inthe machine which in turn results in the packages being irregularlybuilt up. These irregularities are avoidedjwhenusing the interruptingexpedient of this this. invention.

An additional advantage of the preferred embodiment of this invention isthat it is of more compact design. This results from the fact that theentire mechanism of the interrupting system may be arranged near thedriving and traversing mechanisms of the machine.

This invention may be employed in a ring twisting machine wherein thecoupling of each traveller ring at the ring beam comprises a detachablelocking and guiding systemin which. the lock when closed fixedly couplesthe traveller ring to the ring beam and when opened renders thetraveller ring displaceable in a vertical direction relative to the ringbeam in such a manner that the traveller ring may be broughtindependently of the traversing movement of the ringbeam into a positionfacing the auxiliary winding surfaces. During normal operation of themachine, it will not be necessary to use these detachablelockingandguiding systems. However, in the event ofa thread rupture at one or morepoints of the machine these systems are found to be particularly useful-It will then be possible to thread-in the yarn at these points withoutthe necessity of stopping the rest of the machine.

For this purpose, the traveller ring is moved into the position facingthe auxiliary winding surface. Thereafter the yarn is threaded-in withthe traveller ring in this position, after which the traveller ring islocked to the ringbeam. While it is true that detachable locking andguiding system for the pointwise locking and guiding of traveller ringsto or relative to the ring beam are known, it is emphasized, however,that in combination with the system for interrupting the ring beamtraversing these systems are novel and serve another purpose in thisconnection, all' as explained hereinabove.

It is. to be understoodthat the description of the above embodiments isfor the purpose of illustration only and is notintended. to limit thescope of this invention except to the extent defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A ring twisting machine having a plurality of twisting spindlesand'tube holders carried thereby, a traversing ring beam mounted onsaidmachine for reciprocation relative thereto and for supportingaplurality of travellerrings, there being. one traveller ring; for eachtwistingv spindle, each of said tube holders having an auxiliary windingsurface thereon, a traversing mechanism connected to said ring beam for.reciprocating the same, in a normal traversing path a motor, a patterndisc driven by said motor for connecting the same to said traversingmechanism and for interrupting the reciprocating move ment thereof inaccordance with a predetermined sched ule, said pattern disc having acontour such that the ring beamv may be moved quickly to a positionWhere the traveller rings face the auxiliary winding surface oncorresponding tube holders andheld. there for a predetermined lengthoftime, after which the ring beam may be raised more, slowly into thenormal traversing path.

2. A ring twisting machine according to claim 1. wherein, means areprovided for automatically stopping the pattern disc in the extremepositions of said pattern disc.

3.. A ring twisting machine accordingto claim 1 wherein means areprovided on said pattern disc for automaticallystopping the. motor andthereby the pattern disc. in the extreme positions of said pattern disc.

4. A- ring twisting machineaccording to claim 1 wherein.theztraversingmechanism includesa pivoted leverand a chain connectingsaid lever to said ring beam, and the pattern disc cooperates with saidlever to interrupt the reciprocating movement of said ring beam.

5. A ring twisting machineaccording to claim l wherein. the traversingmechanism includes a positively moved pivoted lever and a chainconnecting said lever to said ring beam, and the pattern disc cooperateswith said lever tointerrupt the reciprocating movement of said ringbeam.

References Cited. in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,095,214 Furtado Oct. 5, 1937 2,146,435 Jacques Feb. 7, 1939- 2,432,564Elvin et a1 ec. 16, 1947 2,503,099 Culbreath Apr. 4, 1950 2,729,399Stammwitz Jan. 3, 1956 2,798,356 Christiansson, July 9,, 1957 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent Noo $067,566December 11 1962 Hermanus van Dreven et alo n the above numbered pat- Itis hereby certified that error appears i t should read as ent requiringcorrection and that the said Letters Paten corrected below.

"same". strike out the comma and Column 8 line 5 after same column 80insert the same after "path" in line 6 Signed and sealed this 18th dayofJune 1963,

(SEAL) Attest:

DAVID L. LADD ERNEST W SWIDER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

